Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Lord Singh of Wimbledon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any working group was set up at theInternational Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Beliefin July toaddress cultural practices that stigmatise other faiths and beliefs.

Lord Singh of Wimbledon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any working group comprising members of different faiths was established at the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in July to highlight important commonalities between different faiths and eradicate the myth of irreconcilable differences.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting FoRB, we hosted an International Ministerial Conference on FoRB on 5-6 July 2022.No specific working groups were set up during the Conference, however, we worked closely with our international and domestic partners in the run up to the Conference and set up a Conference Advisory Committee with representatives from a range of religion or belief communities, academia and human rights groups. We successfully brought together over 800 faith and belief leaders, human rights actors, civil society and 100 government delegations to agree and work towards joint action on promoting FoRB for all. As outlined in our Written Ministerial Statement following the Conference ( https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-07-15/hlws204), we will continue to build coalitions of government and civil society actors focussed on key themes from the Conference, drawing on the convening power of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance to promote FoRB for all.

Tigray: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches rural areas in Tigray.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The conflict in northern Ethiopia has contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, leaving 13 million people in Tigray, Amhara and Afar requiring humanitarian assistance. The UK has provided more than £80 million to respond to the humanitarian crises Ethiopia since November 2020. Our support has reached civilians across the country including in conflict areas, drought affected areas, and to refugees. UK support has gone towards water and sanitation, health and nutrition, child protection and gender-based violence prevention and response, livelihoods, logistics, communications, and technical expertise seconded to the UN.The return to conflict, including the seizure of fuel by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from the World Food Programme, makes the work of humanitarian agencies more difficult. The UK, working closely with international partners and the UN, is urging all parties to the conflict to guarantee unfettered humanitarian access by immediately ceasing hostilities and allowing aid in.

Tigray: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of the humanitarian truce between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front.

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with international partners over the renewed conflict in Ethiopia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The breakdown of the truce and return to conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Government is catastrophic for the people of Ethiopia. It risks tens of thousands of deaths, both directly through fighting and indirectly through a further deepening of the already dire humanitarian situation. 22 months since fighting began, it is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict.The UK is heavily involved in international efforts to de-escalate conflict, stressing the need for a political solution, humanitarian access and accountability for atrocities. We support the African Union's mediation efforts to this end, and encourage a redoubling of these efforts to avert further escalation. The UK urges Tigrayan troops to leave Amhara and Eritrean troops to leave Tigray. We urge the Ethiopian Government to restore services to Tigray and both parties to begin direct talks without preconditions. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa is engaging with all parties to the conflict to deliver these messages.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in securing an international convention prohibiting the use of rape or sexual violence as a weapon of war, including enforceable and effective sanctions in response to any breaches.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It is unacceptable that sexual violence and rape continue to take place in conflicts around the world and are, in some cases, used as a method of warfare. Among other things, rape can be a war crime, a crime against humanity and a form of torture. Rape is prohibited under international humanitarian law, international criminal law, international human rights law and UN Security Council resolutions.The UK is stepping up its ambition to end the culture of impunity that has pervaded acts of Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). In the first instance, we are focused on addressing the gaps in implementation of existing laws at the national level. We are also seeking further concerted action on the Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) Convention, which is vital to strengthen the international legal architecture and prosecute atrocity crimes including some forms of CRSV. Both of these steps could pave the way for a CRSV Convention in due course.The UK will host the international Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) conference in November 2022. This will be a key opportunity to show UK leadership and rally international support to agree further action on sexual violence in conflict to eliminate this crime, including stronger international action to promote accountability.

Kenya: Development Aid

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government how much UK overseas aid they provided to Kenya in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, (3) 2019, (4) 2020, and (5) 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK provided the following amounts of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Kenya:1) 2017 - £153 million2) 2018 - £116 million3) 2019 - £134 million4) 2020 - £92 million5) 2021 - final figures have not yet been released by the FCDO.